


Journey into the Forsaken Lands

by bloodylullabies



Series: Lightbringer AU [2]
Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-11 08:24:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17443379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodylullabies/pseuds/bloodylullabies
Summary: Most of the written material of 'Loial, son of Arent son of Halan' was lost during the Downfall, two thousand years ago, but our research team is proud to present this transcribed series of recorded audio interviews. None of them have been edited, but our researchers’ notes are included in this version. We believe that these recordings were used as notes for the making of Loial’s mythical book “The Dragon Reborn”, of which nothing remains except vague mentions in later literature. This is a wondrous find indeed, and it will henceforth be preserved and exposed at the Museum of Relics of Ages Past.





	1. First recording: King Bao

_(Throat clearing.) (Loud, booming voice.)_ “Testing the _ter’angreal._ ” _(Pause.) (Tapping on device.)_ “Is this working?”

_(Another, softer voice.)_ “It is, Treesinger.” **[‘Treesinger’: term unknown. Most likely another name for the creatures known as ‘Ogier’.]**

"Such an amazing apparatus! I wish I'd had one during the early days of my adventures… It will be of great help to write my book. I have so many more people to talk to! What did you say it was called?"

"A recorder."

"A recorder, yes. Brilliant! I wonder what other devices from the Age of Legends will be uncovered or rediscovered now that you and Master Natael are…ah…" **[The ‘Age of Legends’ was the age prior to the one during which the events mentioned in these interviews took place. ‘Master Natael’ is Jasin Natael, adopted name of Joar Addam Nessosin. See the second interview for more information.]**

"Now that we are inclined to share that knowledge with you."

"Indeed!" _(Pause.)_ "May we begin?" _(Another pause.)_ "Recording number one: Interview of Bao, King of Shara, once the Forsaken Demandred, born Barid Bel, and who acquired the third name ‘Medar’ for his accomplishments in various fields during the Age of Legends.” **[The ‘Forsaken’ were men and women who pledged their souls to ‘The Dark One’. Some of them, like ‘Demandred’ – nowadays better known as ‘King Bao’ – broke that pledge to return to the Light during the event known as ‘The Last Battle’. Shara, of course, is a name familiar to all, as the nation has withstood for millennia, surviving even the Downfall.]** “Thank you for granting me a private audience. I know you are quite busy.”

“I will always make time for one of the Treesingers. Your kind was ever held in high esteem, Loial. It is an honour for me to be interviewed by you.”

“I would like to start with the part you played in the Last Battle, if it's all the same to you. While the memories are still fresh, so to speak." _(Throat clearing.)_ "I suppose the first question is rather obvious: What made you change your mind at the very last moment? Why return to the Light, when the Shadow was apparently so close to victory?"

"I came to defeat Lews Therin, and Lews Therin was not there." **[Lews Therin Telamon was ‘The Dragon’, the Champion of the Light during the Age of Legends.]** "I suppose I finally realised how futile it was. In all the years since I’d pledged my soul to the Dark One, Lews Therin was all I could think about. He was the reason behind every move and decision I made. Destroying him had become an obsession. I was aware of that, of course. I simply did not care. I felt that the satisfaction his demise would bring me would be worth all the sacrifices I made."

"What sacrifices?"

"My life, essentially. I forswore everything I stood for, abandoned everyone I knew. All for a man who, in the end, would not even deign acknowledge my existence."

"Why did you hate Lews Therin Telamon? And why transfer that hatred to Rand al'Thor, who was not, after all, the man you had despised for so long?" **[Rand al’Thor was ‘The Dragon Reborn’, subject of the eponymous book by Loial. Believed to be one of Telamon’s incarnations, al’Thor was the Champion of the Light during the events leading to the Last Battle.]**

"Al'Thor was Lews Therin reborn. They were one and the same to me.” _(Pause.)_ “We used to be friends, he and I. We grew up together, but the time we spent studying at the Collam Daan changed us. I came to realise that Lews was not the man I thought he was. He invested too much time and energy in trivial matters. I suppose we grew apart, as people do, but it didn't stop there. During our years in V'saine, we would test each other in all sorts of challenges. It started out amiably, but quickly became something else. He often had the upper hand, you see, and it began to annoy me, then it got frankly frustrating. I could have put an end to it. I should have, but I didn't. I wanted to best him, to show everyone I was more than Lews Therin's second. I always walked in his shadow, in these days, but it never bothered me until people started to notice it. We parted ways altogether soon after we graduated, not on good terms, although I doubt it affected him. Lews always made a great show of being compassionate and sympathetic, you see, but it was all on the outside. In truth, he was ambitious and greedy, more so than I ever was, maybe as much as any of the other Chosen ever were. He went to great lengths to get what he wanted, and did not always achieve it in the most moral or ethical manner." _(Pause.)_ "I do not mean to say that he was a complete idiot. He had brains, and he knew how to use them. I do not mean that he was a bad person, either. He was not. Nobody is, when you really think about it. Nothing is all black or white. People are not all Shadow or Light." _(Long pause.)_ "I'm sorry, what was the question again?"

"We were talking about why you hated him."

"Ah, yes. I did not see Lews for many decades after I left the Collam Daan. When I got back from my travels, he was the same man he had always been: arrogant, vain, competitive. But I had changed. I had gained maturity and poise. I saw no point in reintegrating any kind of social life when I returned. Everyone was so false, so unauthentic. I spent years writing and researching, and it was at that time that I became acquainted with Elan Morin Tedronai." **[Elan Morin Tedronai was the former name of the infamous Forsaken Ishamael, who is often mentioned in books of old. Our ancestors sometimes referred to him as ‘The Betrayer of Hope’, which, we believe, is a literal translation of his name from the lost language known as ‘The Old Tongue’.]**

"Elan was a professor at the Collam Daan, a teacher of philosophy and theology, two subjects to which I had taken a keen interest over the years. We worked together, wrote several books, published some essays." **[The Collam Daan was a university, a school.]**

"That was before the Collapse?" **[This term refers to the period of time prior to ‘The War of Power’, which preceded ‘The Breaking’, an event comparable to the Downfall.]**

"Indeed. Our collaboration lasted for about two decades, until we found ourselves lacking new material. Elan decided to retire for a time, and I was offered his position in V'saine, which I kept for over fifty years." **[V’saine was a city, home to the Collam Daan.]**

"How did you earn your third name? Was it thanks to one of the books you wrote?" **[It seems that our ancestors were granted ‘third names’ for their achievements in a specific field.]**

"Not one of them in particular, but rather thanks to all of them. A third name was generally awarded following one's accomplishments over the course of their career, although there were exceptions. Nemene Damendar, for example, received hers – Boann – after discovering a new Healing method in the field of surgery, an exceptional breakthrough that led her to become one of the youngest people with a third name. Nessosin earned his after only two decades of creating musical masterpieces, when in fact artists were rarely granted a third name." **[Nothing is known of the woman Nemene Damendar Boann, save that she was a ‘Healer’ during the Age of Legends.]**

"Where were you during the Collapse?"

"The Collapse lasted over a century, so I assume you want to know where I was when the Bore was drilled and the Sharom shattered?" **['Sharom': term unlnown. Perhaps a building or monument of sorts?]** "I wasn't in V'saine at the time. I had long since opted for a new position, one that brought me back to the city where I was born, Adanza. It possessed the largest library in the world, and I was part of the committee that reviewed new manuscripts to be published, among other tasks. You have to understand that, despite the obvious damage done to the university, the world did not change overnight after the drilling of the Bore. We rebuilt the Collam Daan, and things degenerated too slowly for us to truly grasp the extent of the incident. Too slowly at first, anyway."

"Did Ishamael try to recruit you from the beginning, just after he betrayed the world and publicly pledged his soul to the Dark One?"

"Ishamael never approached me, though others did. Lanfear and Graendal, and other Chosen that were not sealed in the Dark One's prison, whose names would mean nothing to you. Of course, it is quite possible that they were sent by Ishamael. He must have thought women were more likely to win me over."  **[Lanfear and Graendal were both female Forsaken.]**

"Speaking of women, Rand once mentioned that you both…” ( _Loud throat clearing.)_ “Well, that is, that both you and Lews Therin fought over Ilyena Sunhair.” **[We believe that ‘Sunhair’ was a nickname rather than the woman’s given name, but we have found no record of the latter.]** “Is that true? Did their marriage inflame your hatred toward him?"

"We never 'fought' over her. I courted Ilyena for a while, before Lews Therin set his sights on her. It might have turned into something interesting, I suppose, had he not come along. She fell for him instantly, and he for her. What do you call it? Love at first sight, it was. I was there when it happened.” ( _Pause.)_ “Ilyena and I were having dinner at the Ansaline Gardens when Lews Therin walked in with some colleagues. Ilyena and he didn't take their eyes off each other for the rest of the evening. It was rankling, I'll admit, and more than a little unflattering, obviously, but I saw her more as a prize than as a potential spouse anyway. It was just another item to add to an already extensive list of irritating things done to me by Lews Therin. I'm still not sure what she saw in the man. She certainly deserved better than him." **[The ‘Ansaline Gardens’ was, it seems, the name of a restaurant, likely a popular one.]**

"How were your relationships with the other Forsaken? The twelve that made it into this age, that is."

"They were almost inexistent. I answered to Ishamael, and later to Moridin, because I had to. Semirhage and I had an agreement that we would work together until the Last Battle, and Mesaana joined our little alliance shortly afterward. I trusted neither of them, evidently, no more than I trusted Ishamael. The others… I only saw them on the rare occasions when Ishamael forced us to gather, and ignored them otherwise. Although I did keep myself informed of their plans whenever possible, of course." **[Nothing is known of the Forsaken Semirhage, Mesaana or Moridin, save that the latter appears to have replaced Ishamael at some point, prior to the Last Battle.]**

"And Master Natael?" **[Natael was ‘Asmodean’, another of the infamous Forsaken, one of those who returned to the Light. His interview comes next on the recording.]**

"I don't think I ever said more than a few words to him." _(Pause.)_ "That is, until he invited himself over in my palace."

_(Throat clearing.)_ “And Mazrim?” **[Mazrim Taim, known as the Forsaken M’Hael, likewise returned to the Light. His interview comes after that of Asmodean on the recording.]** “Were you the one who recruited him?"

"I was the one who allowed him to escape the Red Ajah, after his failure as a False Dragon. I acted on Ishamael's orders. I was the one who accompanied him to Shayol Ghul." **[‘Shayol Ghul’: a mountain, within which lay the 'Bore', the place where the entity known as ‘The Dark One’ dwelled, or at least where it was easiest to communicate with it, as we believe that it stood outside of our definition of time and space. We do not know what ‘Red Ajah’ means. A bounty hunter’s nickname, perhaps? A ‘False Dragon’ must have been a pretender to the title of ‘Dragon’.]**

"Why did Neya end up in Shara with you? Was it Ishamael who told you to…recruit her?" **[Neya, First Queen of Shara, is another subject of this recording. Her interview comes last.]**

"Not at all. I was aware of her history with Ishamael and Lanfear – some of it – and of what had happened to her after she was released into al'Thor's care. Someone suggested that I bring her here. I was told that she was important to my plans."

"Was it…Shendla who told you that? The woman whom Moghedien impersonated during the battle?" **[Sadly, little is known about either of these people, save what is mentioned in the present recording. We can only theorise that ‘Moghedien’ was one of the Forsaken. Shendla may have been an advisor to the King.]**

"Indeed."

"How did she know that Neya was important? Was she a Dreamer?" **[We assume that ‘Dreamers’ were people who received visions in their dreams. True visions or not, it is impossible to tell.]**

"A Dreamer, or something else. I assume she had visions, of a sort. Perhaps her Talent was similar to that of Miss Farshaw."  **[Elmindreda Farshaw; see Logain Ablar's interview for further information.]**  "Shendla never explained exactly how she knew, but I trusted her. She never failed me."

"But she deceived you, didn't she?"

"I accused her of deception, yes, but she had the right of it. I should have paid more attention to what she was saying. She was trying to lead me on this path from the very beginning. I was simply too intent on my pursuit to see it."

"You lost a rather large part of your army after your sudden change of heart."

"Many lives were claimed during _Tarmon Gai'don_.” **[‘The Last Battle’.]** “There is no such thing as a bloodless victory. We avenged our people by vanquishing our enemies and then we mourned our losses, just like everyone else."

"But weren't you angry that it was Neya who brought this on? If she hadn't diverted your attention away from the battle, it might have turned out differently."

"If my wife hadn't done what she did, Ogier, we would all be dead."

_(Throat clearing.)_ “As you say. What are your plans for the future?"

"We will build a new Shara. As I told the Amyrlin before I returned to the Light, I intend to open it for commerce and Travel, when the Westlands are ready to accept it.” **['Amyrlin': term unknown, spelling uncertain. Most likely a title. Our hypothesis is that this person was a leader of sorts.]**  "We are already working on developing new cities at strategic locations, and we've set several Traveling platforms across the land. This is what I wanted to do from the beginning, you know. I was just going the wrong way about it. Shendla and Neya opened my eyes."

"And the world will forever be grateful to them for that. I believe I have what I need, for now, though I might think of other questions when I replay the interview. Thank you again for your time."

"It is ever an honour to assist, Treesinger."

"Oh, I almost forgot! You're the king here, and yet every servant I've encountered thus far seems to be calling you Bao. Is this a Sharan custom?"

"There has never been a king in Shara, so custom has no say in the matter. Sharans rarely use titles, unless formality is called for. I think that I will leave it at that, at least for the time being. Let people get used to my new name, and forget the previous ones." **[Without the present recording, they would have been forgotten indeed! Who could have guessed that the illustrious King Bao had started out as an enemy of the Light?]**


	2. Second recording: Nate

"Recording number two: Interview of Jasin Natael, future Gov-“

“Just call me Nate. Mazrim has decided that it sounded better than Jay. I said I’d allow it if he shaved his ridiculous beard.”

_(Throat clearing.)_ “This is merely the introduction, Master…um…Nate. To better organise my notes. And for posterity, perhaps.”

_(Loud snort.)_ “Posterity? I doubt that anyone will want to listen to this, or remember any of us, for that matter. Well, except me. My music will live on long after we’re all gone.” **[Sadly, no partition of music or melody from the time prior to the Downfall has made it into our Age. But ‘Nate’ certainly had a high opinion of himself, as the reader will notice.]** “But please. Do go on with your formal introduction. I wouldn’t want you to get lost in your notes.”

_(Pause.)_ “Interview of Jasin Natael, future Governor of the city of Tzora, once the Forsaken Asmodean, born Joar Addam, and who acquired the third name ‘Nessosin’ for his accomplishments in the field of music during the Age of Legends.” **[Tzora was the name of a city during the Age of Legends; we believe that Bao and his Governors decided to name their new cities after the ones they knew best, perhaps out of nostalgia.]** “Thank you for your time. Shall we begin with-”

"Where did you get the recorder?"

_(Pause.)_ "Bao gave it to me."

"Well, that's quite unfair. All I got from him was a contemptuous scowl."

_(Throat clearing.)_ “Speaking of Bao, he claims that you barely knew each other, even when you were both allies, as Forsaken. Is that so?"

"Absolutely. Then again, he rarely spoke to anyone. Besides, I wouldn't say that we were allies. None of us ever considered the others as such, no matter what shaky alliances we made. We were all rivals."

"You worked alongside Lanfear for a while, when you were following Rand in the Waste." **[‘The Waste’: a vast expanse of dry land, a desert, which separated Shara from the western nations.]**

"I didn't have much choice. She sought me out because she supposedly knew how to turn al'Thor to our side and required my assistance to do so. In retrospect, I'm fairly certain that she had planned this all along. She wanted me to teach him, no matter at what cost to my person." **[We are unsure what Master Natael was meant to teach Rand al’Thor. His only talent seems to be his musical expertise – according to himself.]**

"Why didn't you have a choice? Was Lanfear...higher than you in the Forsaken hierarchy?"

_(Snigger.)_ "She certainly thought she was." _(Pause.)_ "I just find that humouring her was easier than refusing her. Besides, with Ishamael gone, she was probably the most likely to become Nae'blis." **[‘Nae’blis’: term unknown, spelling uncertain. We assume it to be a word from the Old Tongue.]** "In any case, I wasn't doing anything of import then." 

"Where were you at the time?"

"In Bandar Eban. I was gathering information regarding this Age before deciding on a course. I spent most of my time in the Terhana Library." **[‘Bandar Eban’: most likely a western nation; exact location unknown. The Terhana Library must have been a landmark of this country.]**

"Did any of your former associates attempt to contact you after Rand severed your link to the Dark One?" **[We have theorised that the Forsaken shared a bond of sorts with the Dark One, which allowed them to channel its essence, the ‘True Source’, and rendered them immortal besides.]**

_(Chuckle.)_ "Any contact would have likely resulted in my death. Graendal tried to kill me when I was in Caemlyn, just after the skirmish against Rahvin. But, you know, I had already died once that day, so I told her to come back some other time." **[‘Caemlyn’: a city in the western nations. ‘Rahvin’ was yet another Forsaken. We do not know what Nate means about already dying once, but we assume he exaggerates. Perhaps he was badly injured and returned from the brink of death.]** "If Neya hadn't been there… Well, there's no point dwelling on that now."

"Indeed." _(Pause.)_ "You met Neya when you were in the Waste. How did you-"

"That's not quite accurate, actually. I was there when Lanfear broke into Ishamael's lair. That was the first time I ever saw Neya."

"I haven't heard Neya's story yet. She doesn't seem too…enthusiastic about being interviewed."

"She's been through a lot, Treesinger. I'm sure she's not looking forward to retelling it all. Anyway, it's not my place to give you her story."

"No, of course not." _(Pause.)_ "Is there a story behind the pet monkey? I assumed it was the children's fancy, but they assured me it was your idea." **[‘Monkey’: a small, furry mammal, perhaps native to Shara. Like most land animals, they became extinct during the Downfall.]**

"Yes, it was indeed. It's all because of Miss Farshaw, you see. Months ago, when we were in Far Madding, I finally gave in to temptation and asked her if she'd ever had an interesting viewing about me." **[‘Far Madding’: presumably yet another city of the lands west of Shara.]**

"Did Min know who you were at the time?"

"Of course. Al’Thor couldn’t have kept it hidden from her even if he’d tried."

"And the viewing…involved a monkey?"

"It did! I assumed she was making fun of me – Light knows she hated to be asked what she saw – but when I found out that Neya had been in Shara all this time, I began to wonder. Sure enough, the moment we settled down in the palace, a monkey appeared on the balcony. It was fated, I'm telling you."

"Is everyone well-settled in their quarters at the palace?"

"Oh yes, perfectly. Mazrim and I have our own room, on the other side of the building from Bao's bedchamber, to avoid running into each other too much, and the girls are somewhere in between." **[Odd as it may sound – and though many will find this controversial in our Age – Jasin Natael and Mazrim Taim were lovers, until Natael died at a relatively young age. Taim married Queen Neya and became king of Shara decades after King Bao’s death; by then Natael was long gone.]** "As for Neya, we just share her."

"Oh, I didn’t mean to pry! Those are…um…private matters. I do not need to hear-"

"I know, but it amuses me, the way your ears twitch when you're embarrassed.” **[It is surmised that the Ogier had rather large ears.]** “I was just joking, by the way. Don't tell Neya I said that."

_(Throat clearing.)_ "Can you tell me more about your past, before you became one of the Forsaken?"

"Gladly. Ah, where to start? You must know that I was born in Shorelle, a port town of no particular interest, but I moved to Tzora after I finished my studies. Tzora was magnificent, even by the standards of our Age." _(Pause.)_ "What do you want to know, exactly? Because there's much to tell."

"Tell me about your family."

"If it could be called that." _(Snigger.)_ "I was the youngest child in a brood of thirteen.” **[There clearly was no ‘one-child policy’ in that Age.]** “Yes, thirteen. Ironic, isn’t it? But that's not the worst part. The other twelve were all girls. Apparently, my mother was intent on having a boy, from the very beginning, and she didn't quit until she got one. Moreover, while other channelers of our Age rarely had children in the first place, my dear mother had us all at intervals of one or two years. My eldest sister was twenty-two when I was born. I was my mother's favourite, evidently – she had waited long enough to have me – and it didn't sit well with my sisters, as you can imagine. They were left to fend for themselves from that moment on, and I was ever the centre of attention. That hasn't changed, some will say." _(Snorting laughter.)_ "To summarise, my sisters hated me and my mother worshipped me."

"What about your father?"

"He was never around. Well, obviously he had been around at least thirteen times before my birth, but it seems that he felt as neglected as my sisters did, afterwards. We didn't talk much, the few times he was there. We had nothing in common. He was not even a channeler. My mother was an Aes Sedai, of course, a person of great influence.” **[That is all we know of ‘Aes Sedai’: they were channelers of great influence.]** “I don't think anyone ever understood her sudden decision to abandon her political career to start a family – and even less her marriage to my father. He was a janitor. A janitor! Can you imagine?" _(Snigger.)_ "Anyway. I grew up thinking I was the Creator made flesh, thanks to my mother.” **[‘Creator’: what our ancestors called the All-Maker, the Dark One’s antithesis.]** “I felt I was entitled to everything, and she seemed to feel that way as well. At that point, you're probably wondering why I severed her and handed her over to the Eyeless. At least, I assume you already know about that?" **[‘Eyeless: term unknown. Likely one the ‘Shadowspawn’, a creature of the Dark One.]**

"I do.” _(Throat clearing.)_ “It is indeed difficult to puzzle out."

"The problem is that she set high expectations for my future, unrealistic ones. She wanted me to be everything she had been, as well as all the things my father never was, or could be. She wanted me to be the most powerful Aes Sedai, the most successful politician, in short, the most prominent man of the Age. With that sort of prospects in mind, is it not a matter of course that I felt entitled?" _(Pause.)_ "I knew early on that I wanted to be a musician. When I was a child, I demanded to receive lessons in the musical arts, and my mother consented, though reluctantly. As I grew older, she said that I had to put aside these trivial pursuits and focus on a proper career. She wouldn't allow me to attend courses at the Conservatory in Mar Ruois.” **[‘Conservatory’: a school where one learned music. ‘Mar Ruois’: a city of the Age of Legends.]** “Instead, I spent years – decades – studying at the Collam Daan. Law, politics, diplomacy, trade, foreign affairs… I hated it. I was bored to death. I joined a musical band when I was at the University – a fact unknown to my mother, evidently – but when we were offered an opportunity to become famous, I had to decline. My mother would have cut me off entirely, had she found out, and I couldn't afford that. When I finally graduated, having learned everything I was supposed to know and thus becoming an Aes Sedai, I resolved to confront my mother. It was an epic argument, and it ended with my mother disowning me altogether. She threw me out of the house without further ado, after making sure I knew how much of a disappointment I was. How much of a failure." _(Long pause.)_ "In truth, I never liked her. She considered me more like a pet project than a human being capable of feelings. She was living through me, and she had no regard for what I wanted. I don't think she was capable of loving. All that mattered to her was her place in the world, in society, and what legacy she would leave after her death. She groomed me to become that perfect, ideal legacy, and she spoiled me in the process. She ruined me. If you were wondering why I'm so cynical and bitter, well, that's why."

“And after that, I suppose that you joined the Conservatory of Mar Ruois?"

"Indeed. I spent nineteen years there and graduated with the highest honours. Everyone seemed to agree that I was destined to be a grand musician, and I thought the day I became famous was only moments away. I believed that everyone was going to fight over me, that the most difficult part would be to choose the best suited impresario.” **[‘Impresario’: term unknown.]** “Instead I spent years struggling to earn a living. Being an artist in our days… It was nothing like the gleemen of this Age.” **[‘Gleeman’: a person who entertained others for a living.]** “It didn't matter how talented you were. If you didn't know the right people, you got nowhere. To be fair, that was the case with many positions, and it only became worse the higher you wanted to climb."

"But you did become famous, eventually, didn't you?"

"Oh, of course. I met Elan, and he introduced me to all the right people. It was only a matter of weeks after that. Although, as you probably already know, I never made it to the top, something I still can't quite figure out, or stomach. I was better than everyone else, you know. I still am." **[Again, there is no evidence to back that claim but, as the last surviving musician of the Age of Legends, it is possible that Nate was more skilled than most, at least in the Age during which the present interviews take place.]**

"I'm sure that's true. Is this lack of proper recognition the reason you ultimately went over to the Shadow?"

"Absolutely."

"Were there other reasons, perhaps?"

"No." _(Pause.)_ "Well… I suppose I was a bit bored, too."

"I…see.” _(Throat clearing.)_ “What are your plans now? I understand that Bao wants you to administer the future city of Tzora, but do you have anything else in mind?"

"Bao wants to recreate the Collam Daan and the other universities and academies of our Age, including the Conservatory. Well, he wants them to be even grander, in truth. He still has some delusions of grandeur, although Neya is doing her best to moderate his enthusiasm. In any case, it seems obvious that I will be in charge of the Conservatory, when the building is done. It would make sense, as I'm sure you'll agree. And I think Bao wants Mazrim to administer the Collam Daan – or whatever he decides to call it. The Sharans have a propensity to come up with ridiculous names for their buildings, an odd habit for people who lack even a second name." _(Pause.)_ "I have no intention of working myself to death, though. I fully intend to live my life to the fullest. After being comatose for three thousand years, then being literally resurrected, I believe a break is in order. I think a century or two will do." _(Long pause.)_ “Oh, I know what you’re thinking, Ogier. _‘But you’ve burned yourself out, Nate, and Neya hasn’t been able to Heal you. You won’t have centuries.’_ ” **[The phrase ‘to burn oneself out’ is thought to mean that Nate channeled more of the One Power than he safely could, unaided, and therefore lost the ability to channel altogether. Though Queen Neya was known to be a formidable Healer, no record indicates that this condition was Healable, and indeed Nate died some seven decades after the present interview, according to Loial’s later recorded notes.]** “She _will_ Heal me. Eventually. I can’t possibly be destined to…to grow old, like some commoner. To have wrinkles. To die in the prime of my life. I simply won’t allow it.”

_(Throat clearing.)_ "Indeed. Well, I wish you luck in your…aspirations. Thank you for your time, Master…um, Nate."

"It's been my pleasure, Treesinger. I'm always available if you need more material for your book. Just try to schedule it a little later in the day, next time. I am not a morning person, and I haven’t even had _kaf_ yet." **[‘Kaf’: term unknown. Possibly an invigorating drink or food that one typically consumed in the morning.]**

"Ah, yes. My apologies. I will keep that in my mind."


	3. Third recording: Mazrim Taim

"This device will remember everything we say?"

"Yes. When we're done, I can listen to our conversation as many times as I want, to write it all down at leisure. Isn't it amazing?"

"It is." _(Pause)._ "Do you ask questions or…?"

"Yes, yes indeed. But first I must do a proper introduction, if you don’t mind.”

“Fine with me. It’s your interview.”

_(Throat clearing.)_ “Recording number three: Mazrim Taim, also known as M’Hael…” 

“No.” _(Pause.)_ “Not M’Hael. Never again.”

“It’s just…for the record, you know. Ahem. Mazrim Taim, future Governor of the city of Adanza, and administrator of its University.” _(Pause.)_ “I suppose we should start with how you became a Dreadlord in the first place.” **[‘Dreadlord’: a channeler who served the Dark One.]** “It may sound strange, but I remember meeting you, after Dumai's Wells, and thinking that, had you been the Dragon Reborn, you would have been a very...competent one.” **[‘Dumai’s Wells’: the place where an infamous and bloody battle of that Age came to pass, though details have been lost to history.]** “You seemed so capable, so poised in the face of all that was happening. Not that Rand wasn't competent, of course, that's not what I'm saying. But if things had turned out differently…"

"To be fair, I hadn't just been abducted by Aes Sedai, beaten and locked up in a chest for days." **[Presumably what happened to al’Thor, the starting point of the aforementioned battle. We are uncertain as to whether ‘Aes Sedai’ were enemies of the Light or simply misguided.]** "I used to think the same. I might have been a decent saviour of the world, if given a chance. But I was already a Darkfriend at the time. It's been over a decade since I first encountered Ishamael." **[‘Darkfriend’: a generic name for any man or woman who served the Dark One.]**

"A decade! I’d assumed that one of the Forsaken reached out to you after you were captured by the Red Ajah, or perhaps that you were set up as a False Dragon by one of them. I didn't even know that Ishamael had been freed for so long."

"I don't know exactly how long he'd been out and about by then, but I can tell you that he was already mad." _(Pause.)_ "I had just begun channeling in earnest when I met him. I was using the few weaves I knew to destroy Trollocs and other Shadowspawn across the Blight.” **[‘Trolloc’: a type of Shadowspawn. The ‘Blight’: an expanse of land that stretched across the northern side of the world; a region corrupted by the Dark One.]** “I was expecting death at pretty much any moment, whether at the hand of a Myrddraal or from a sudden burst of madness. Either would have been fine." **[‘Myrddraal’: another type of Shadowspawn.]** "I know there's no good reason for becoming a Darkfriend, that one cannot accidentally pledge oneself to the Shadow, so don't take any of it as an excuse for my actions."

"Mazrim, I just want to make it clear that this is not a judgment in any way. I'm an impartial listener, nothing more."

_(Pause.)_ "I was given three options, and I picked the one I thought was the lesser evil, as far as my interests were concerned, anyway. Death at the hand of the most dreaded of the Forsaken wasn't particularly appealing, you see, and neither was Turning." **[‘Turning’: a process used to turn people to the Shadow against their will; for more details, see Logain Ablar’s interview.]** "If I'm being honest, I would probably make the same choice every time. I figured that if I was allowed to keep my mind, as well as my life, I could still turn the situation around somehow, some day. Besides, I was promised that I wouldn't go insane. I still don't know if Ishamael lied about that or if I was mad before he even appeared."

"How did you find out that you could channel? What triggered it for the first time?"

"I was working as a clerk in Kayacun back then, in the service of a wealthy merchant.” **[‘Kayacun’: a city from Taim’s native land, Saldaea.]** “There’s not much to it, really. I had been working all night to finish tax papers for the next day and I spilled the inkwell. It froze in mid-air. I sat staring at it for I don't know long, until my employer called out from his office. I was startled, and the inkwell finished its initial course, ruining all the paperwork." _(Pause.)_ "At first I thought I'd dreamed it all, that I was exhausted and imagining things, hallucinating. The head clerk sent me home when he saw the mess and told me not to bother coming back. I was sick the following day, and that's when I knew for sure what had happened. Everyone in the Borderlands knows the signs and symptoms. We’ve all come across enough men heading toward the Blight to die." **[‘Borderlands’: the lands that bordered the Blight. Saldaea was one such nation, as well as legendary Malkier.]**

"What did you do then?"

_(Long pause.)_ "I tried to kill myself, but it's not as easy as you'd think. I ended up in the Blight after a time, and that's where I met Ishamael. After that, I began gathering people around me, unwillingly at first, then with a purpose: to destroy as many Shadowspawn as we could before the Blight swallowed us."

"When did you decide to become a False Dragon?"

_(Dry chuckle.)_ "By the time we started marching, I had convinced myself that I _was_ the Dragon Reborn. I never thought of myself as a False Dragon."

"The Red Ajah played no part in your rapid rise to power?"

"The Red Ajah? No, of course not. I know Logain claims that he was contacted by them, but that was certainly not my case. The first Red sisters I met were the ones who held me prisoner after we were defeated at Irinjavar." **[Correction of a previous note: the Red Ajah was not the nickname of a bounty hunter, but rather the name of a certain faction of people – women, possibly channelers – whose purpose, it seems, was to hunt down False Dragons, or perhaps male channelers in general. ‘Irinjavar’: a city in Saldaea.]**

"How did you-"

_(The sound of a door banging open in the background, followed by rapid footsteps.) (A child’s voice.)_ "Loial! Can you ask me questions too? I want to be interviewed!"

"Ila, what did we say about barging in on people like that, without knocking?" **[‘Ila’: Ilawen, Second Queen of Shara, Taim’s adoptive daughter.]**

_(Pause.)_ "That it was bad?"

"I think 'rude' is the term I employed but, yes, it's bad."

"But everyone is being interviewed except me! It's not fair!"

"Tell you what: you let us finish here and I'll interview you later, alright?"

"Promise?"

"I promise. Off you go now."

"Can't I stay? I wanna hear your interview."

"No, you cannot. This is grown-up talk. I won't be long. Just go play with Nate until I’m done."

"I don't think he's awake yet."

"All the more reason."

_(Giggling.)_ "Fine. But you promised, so don't forget. _I_ won't forget." _(Retreating footsteps and a door slamming shut.)_

_(Throat clearing.)_ "They seem to adjust well to their new life."

"Yes, they do. We all do, I suppose, although it wasn't easy during the first few days. But there is much to do, it keeps everyone occupied."

"Yes, Bao told me about some of your projects. It sounds ambitious."

"That's putting it mildly. Bao’s insane. He wants to bring Shara into a new Age of Legends. It's all well and good, but he seems to expect it all to happen within the next weeks." _(Pause.)_ "It will take years, at the very least, most likely decades. But, you know, as long as it keeps him busy, I can't complain…"

"Do you get along?"

_(Pause.)_ "Well enough. That is, we haven't tried to kill each other yet. It could be worse."

"I understand that you had never met Master Natael prior to the Last Battle. Is that correct?"

“I must have encountered him once or twice before, but I always dismissed him as the Dragon Reborn's useless court bard.” **[‘Bard’: a fancy gleeman.]** "Which is how he was supposed to appear, obviously. None of the other Forsaken ever told me who he really was."

"Can you tell me more about your relationship with Neya? It seems to me that you deserted the Shadow at least partly because of her. Or was it merely because you wanted to be cleansed of the taint?" **[‘Taint’: the corruption of the Dark One, which poisoned _saidin_ , the male half of the Source. It made men who could channel go insane and caused the Breaking, and wasn’t cleansed until the Dragon Reborn came along. Taim was apparently already partially mad before the Cleansing.]**

"Neya… She gave me back my life." _(Pause.)_ "I'm not only talking about what she did during the Last Battle. She gave me back my humanity, when I thought I had lost it long ago. I told you earlier that I believed I could take back the pledge I gave Ishamael, if given enough time. Spending time with Neya at the Black Tower, it made me consider what I was doing, what I had become.” **[‘Black Tower’: the place where Asha’man – male channelers – learned to wield the Power. Taim lead it from its creation until the Last Battle. The names of his successors are lost to us.]** “I think I would have come clean to her, eventually. If Demandred hadn't taken her, no one would have been Turned. I couldn't have done it if she'd been around. But he took her and…” _(Heavy sigh.)_ “It all degenerated quickly, after that. Demandred used her as leverage against me. What could I do? Going to al'Thor would have meant her death. I couldn't risk it. I could never risk it." _(Bitter chuckle.)_ "Listen to me, trying to absolve myself, to find excuses. Again. I keep doing that. Logain would be furious." _(Pause.)_ "To answer your question, Neya means everything to me. It's that simple. I returned to the Light because of her, not because I thought my sanity could be salvaged. At that point, it didn't seem possible. And without our bond, I may have yet gone insane from the backlash of the Healing." **[‘Bond’: a weave of Power that entwined the minds – and souls, some claim – of two people. No details have survived.]**

_(Throat clearing.)_ “Can we talk about your life before you learned that you could channel, before you became a False Dragon? I just want to know a little more about your background, if it's alright with you."

"There's not much to tell, I’m afraid. My mother raised me on her own. Well, she worked in a brothel, so she wasn't exactly alone. There was plenty of help to go around." **[‘Brothel’: a place where men and women allowed clients to have sex with them in exchange for money. Or so we surmise; the concept is quite outlandish to us.]** "I never knew my father or who he was. My mother knew, I believe, but she never told me. She fell ill when I was fourteen. Her condition soon forced her to…retire, and we had to leave the brothel, since she wasn't earning her rent anymore. We found a tiny, unsanitary room in a farm, and I started doing odd jobs here and there to pay rent, until I was offered that position in Kayacun. I made good money there, so we purchased a small cottage."

"Is your mother…?"

"She died a few months after I realised I could channel. I never told her, but she must have suspected. Before I left – before I abandoned her to her sickness without a proper explanation – I told her that I had been appointed to a higher position, in Maradon. I doubt that she bought the lie, though. She always saw right through me." **[‘Maradon’: the capital city of Saldaea.]**

"May I ask how you learned to read and write? I mean no offense, but it seems unlikely that you learned in a…brothel."

_(Chuckle.)_ "No offense taken, but I did learn there. Most Saldaean women can read, no matter their occupation, just like they know how to defend themselves at least as well as most men, and better than some. I never learned how to wield a sword, unlike boys of nobler lineage, but, believe it or not, I'm fairly good when it comes to throwing knives. The madam always insisted that the girls in her employment learn both those skills, if they didn't already have them."

"Oh, I didn't know that. Faile never mentioned it before." **[‘Faile ni Bashere t’Aybara’: a Saldaean queen.]**

"Is that Aybara's wife? Davram Bashere's daughter?" **[‘Perrin Aybara’: sometimes referred to as ‘Goldeneyes’, Lord of the Two Rivers – a Western nation, nowadays the resting place of the well-preserved Dragon Statue. ‘Davram Bashere’: a Saldaean noble and general who perished during the Last Battle.]** "Well, maybe she simply doesn't know. She's royalty. They don't mingle with the common folk."

"Faile's not like that! She takes the interests of her people at heart, both high and low."

"I wasn't implying that she was being intentionally snobbish, Loial. It's just a fact, like the fact that I had very little notion of how nobles function, in Saldaea or anywhere else, when we lived at the brothel. I'm sure she'll do well as a Borderlander queen, though. Neya says she's tough as nails.”

"Oh yes, that reminds me! I forgot to ask about the meetings. Did you attend them?"

"Only one, the first. Everyone made it clear that I was not welcome, though, especially since I’m not a ruler myself, and that my presence was therefore not ‘absolutely necessary’. All in all, it didn't go as badly as we feared, except maybe that first one."

"Ah, yes. I understand that the Amyrlin Seat was rather…displeased.” **[This confirms our hypothesis that the Amyrlin was a ruler, though we do not know of which nation.]** “Well. I think I have everything I need for now, Mazrim. Thank you for your time."

"You're quite welcome. I, um, don’t suppose I could borrow the _ter'angreal_ for an hour? I have a promise to keep. Neya warned me not to make impulsive promises to the girls like that, but I keep forgetting, apparently."

_(Booming laughter.)_ "They can be quite insistent."

"Tell me about it."


	4. Fourth recording: Ilawen and Karys

**[This interview was not recorded by Loial, and may therefore sound somewhat more…trivial, but it is still informative enough to be considered an important relic.]**

_(Mazrim.)_ "Alright, let's do this, m'lady."

_(Ilawen.)_ "Princess."

"Princess. A thousand apologies. What do you want to talk about?"

"Me."

"Fair enough. Let's cover the basics. How old are you?"

"Six. Almost. How old are you?"

"Um…twenty-eight. I think. But I'm the one who asks the questions. That's how it works."

"That's not fair! I want to ask questions, too. We should take turns."

"Fine. Where do you come from?"

"Arad Doman.” **[‘Arad Doman’: a Western nation, which shared a border with Saldaea.]** “Are you and Nate going to get married, like Neya and Bao?"

_(A burst of laughter in the background; presumably Natael.)_

"What? No, of course not! I would sooner…" _(Pause.)_ "No, we're not getting married. Ever." **[The very idea is, from our point of view, ludicrous and, in fact, no record of same-gender marriage in any Age prior to ours has made it through the Downfall. We are unsure how such things were considered in olden days, but it seems that the Sharans, at least, tolerated it, according to Loial’s recordings - see Atal Mishraile's interview for more information.]**

"Why not?"

"It's my turn to ask a question. What do you want to be when you're older?"

"An Asha'man!"

_(Pause.)_ "An Asha'man?"

"Yes! Because, look, the dragon pin and my tiara are perfectly matched. They're the same colour. It would look good." **[‘Dragon pin’: a token worn by the Asha’man. We are unsure what they looked like, as this dragon creature itself is long extinct – and was already presumed extinct in Ages prior to ours.]**

"That's as good a reason as any, I suppose."

"Also, because I want to work with Logain."

_(Pause.)_ "Why?"

"Because he's pretty."

_(Another burst of laughter in the background.)_ "She's precocious, that one."

"But, honey, Logain lives here now. He doesn’t work at the Black Tower anymore. Androl has replaced him.”

_(Gasp.)_ “He’s going to stay with us forever?”

“He’s…well, he’s going to be here a while, I suppose.”

“Can I marry him?”

_(Natael calling from the background.)_ “I doubt that Min will agree to that.” **[Logain Ablar and Min Farshaw were lovers at the time.]**

“Um, I suppose you’ll just have to ask Logain when you’re old enough.” _(Low murmur.)_ “Preferably after I’m dead.” **[Queen Ilawen never married, but she did become an Asha’man – or its Sharan equivalent: a _ba’sara_ , a ‘Devoted One’, a term which applied to both female and male channelers.]**

“Mazrim, how does it work?"

"How does what work, love?"

"The thing."

"The recorder? Well, you have to weave something with the Power to get it started, and then it will remember everything we say."

"Can I do it?"

"Um…no, sweetie, you can't. You can't channel."

"When can I channel?"

"Not everyone can channel, Ila. I know you've been around many channelers but, in truth, only a very small part of the population can wield the Power."

"Oh." _(Pause.)_ "Fine. I'll be a warrior princess like Karys, if I can't channel." **[Karys Kesunyian, founder of the order of the** ** _kiseran_ , the Honourable Ones, a warrior faction dedicated to eliminating all trace of Shadowspawn off the face of the earth, as well as Darkfriends and Dreadlords.]**

"That sounds like fun. Are you excited about the wedding?" **[King Bao and Queen Neya’s second wedding – a renewal of wedding vows of sorts.]**

"Yes! Neya says I can throw flower petals when she walks down the aisle. And she says I can have a new dress to wear that day too. I love dresses!"

"Yes, I noticed. Do you like the Two Rivers?"

"Yes…" _(Pause.)_ "I like Abell and Natti and Neya's sisters. And it's very…green."

_(Chuckle.)_ "It is indeed. Do you like it more than Shara?"

"No! I love Shara. It’s much better. We have pretty flowers and butterflies. And I like the food."

"Which dishes are your favourites?"

"I love the little spongy cakes and the blue jelly."

_(Natael, from the background, in a falsely lowered voice.)_ "Do you think she knows what it’s made of?" _(Karys giggling from the background.)_

_(Ilawen.)_ "Karys, can I ask you questions too?"

"What would you ask me? We've been together since you were born, silly. Besides, it's a game for children."

"It's not a game, it's an interview. Only famous people can be interviewed. I'm famous, because I'm a princess. You don’t want to wear your tiara, so you can’t be one."

"You’re not really a princess. Everyone was just humouring you."

_(Pause.)_ “What does that mean?”

"Alright, everybody calm down. Ila, I think it's enough questions for today, love. I have to return the recorder to Loial."

"Wait! I have another question. It's important."

"Just one. Then it's bath time."

_(Indistinct grumble.)_ "When Neya has another baby girl, can I pick the name?" **[King Bao and Queen Neya never had children of their own, though they adopted several over the course of their centuries-long reign.]**

"It could be a boy, though."

"Neya is a girl, silly. It can't be a boy." _(Choking laughter in the background.)_

"I…never thought of it that way. It's an interesting notion. But where do boys come from, then?"

"I don't know. Where do they come from?"

"I don't know, either. You should ask Bao. He's very knowledgeable about these matters."

_(Loud snigger from the background.)_

"You didn't answer my question."

"Well, um… I don’t think that Neya will have another baby anytime soon, sweetie. But tell me. What name did you have in mind?"

"Flower."

_(From the background.)_ "That's not even a name, Ila. Mazrim, you can't let her choose the name. She only has terrible ideas. Yesterday she wanted to call her Butterfly or Jelly."

"I see. We’ll, um, we'll talk to Neya about it, alright? I'm sure we'll come up with something that everyone likes. If we ever need a name."

"Alright. But write my ideas down, in case you forget."

"I will. I'll do that while you take your bath."

"Do I have to? I already had one yesterday."

"Ila, you spend the entire day in the gardens. You'll trail mud all over the palace. People have to clean up your mess, you know. Come on. Karys, keep an eye on Nate. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

_(From the background.)_ "I think you've mixed up the names in that sentence, darling."

"Peace, don't call me that! Just make sure the blasted monkey doesn't turn the place upside down, will you?"

_(Ilawen.)_ "Hey! You can't say that. Bao says it's rude."

_(Throat clearing.)_ "Bao is absolutely right." _(Pause.)_ "Don't tell him I said that."

"I won't if I can skip the bath."

_(Guffaws in the background.)_ "She learns fast, doesn't she?"

_(Loud clanging noise.)_

"For the love of the Light, restrain the beast!" **[Presumably the monkey.]**

* * *

**[The _ter'angreal_ begins recording again sometime later.]**

_(Mazrim.)_ "Why didn't you want to do this with your sister?"

_(Karys.)_ "Because she's so silly, sometimes. She doesn't take anything seriously."

"What serious matters do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. I thought you were supposed to ask the questions."

"Do you want to talk about Arad Doman, about your life there?"

"Yes, alright. We lived in a small village near the coast, with our parents and granny." **[‘Granny’: an informal word for grandmother.]**

"Granny, she was your father's mother?"

"Yes. She was very old. She was confused most of the time, that's why mummy said she had to live with us. She said strange things when she was asleep, too. She said the ravens were going to come back soon. She also said the Kinslayer was reborn and that he would break the world, and that the Children of the Shadow had awakened. She used to tell us spooky stories about them, you know. Very scary stories. I had nightmares, sometimes." **[‘Kinslayer’: Lews Therin Telamon. ‘Children of the Shadow’: presumably another name for the Forsaken.]**

_(Natael, from the background.)_ "Your grandmother was a Dreamer?" **[‘Dreamer’: we assume that Dreamers were people – likely, channelers – who had the ability to glimpse the future in their dreams, as the aged grandmother’s ramblings all turned out to be true. The ravens were the invading Seanchan, from the Far West, the Dragon had indeed been Reborn, and the Forsaken had awakened from their millennial slumber.]**

"I don't know, but mummy told me once that granny had gone to the White Tower when she was very young, and that she came back a few months later and she was never the same afterwards." **['White Tower': term unknown. We assume that it had something to do with the Black Tower, somehow. Possibly a place where female channelers lived and learned to control _saidar_?]**

"Did you tell your granny that her stories frightened you?"

"No. I didn't want her to think I was being a baby. I'm not a coward, you know."

"I know you're not, love. Nobody said that. What happened to her?"

"She died on the day the Seanchan came. She died in her sleep. She looked very frightened, though, with her mouth hanging open and her eyes very wide. It's odd because people say that dying in your sleep is supposed to be peaceful."

"Maybe she saw something scary in her dreams, or maybe she knew that the Seanchan had come." _(Pause.)_ "Did you leave Arad Doman that day?"

"Yes, we fled with most of the other villagers. Everybody was afraid and running around, but we never actually saw any invader. I didn't, anyway. Then we travelled for a long time with other refugees. It wasn't very pleasant. Sometimes we didn't have any food, and my feet hurt all the time. We didn't have a horse or a cart."

"That must have been difficult. Where did you go, before you came to the Black Tower?"

"Lots of different places. I don't remember the names. First we went to Saldaea, and then we went south, toward Andor, but daddy couldn't find work anywhere. We were not far from Caemlyn when we heard about the amnesty." **[‘Amnesty’: we believe that the Dragon Reborn’s amnesty protected male channelers from being hunted down and gentled, or killed, before the Cleansing.]**

"Did you like living at the Tower?"

"I liked it when daddy was there, and when Neya was still taking care of us. Afterward it wasn't so nice, even though Atal and Trygg were really trying to make things easier."

_(Throat clearing.)_ "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Mazrim, aren't you sad that Neya is getting married to Bao?"

"Technically, they're already married."

"But you love her."

_(Long silence.)_ "I do. But I'm not sad. I'm happy for her."

"Do you have a family?"

"Of course I do. Right here."

"Silly. I meant in Saldaea. Didn’t you have anyone there besides your mother?"

"No one, no. My family is just you four."

_(Natael, from the background.)_ "It's not nice of you to exclude the little girl just because she's sleeping."

"It's you I wasn't counting, nitwit."

_(Giggles.)_

"Do you really want to become a warrior princess?"

"No, I just want to be a warrior. Like Birgitte Silverbow. I'm going to ask Uncle Knotai to teach me how to use a Two Rivers bow. And a staff, too." **[‘Birgitte Silverbow’: one the ‘Heroes of the Horn’, champions bound to the legendary Horn of Valere. 'Uncle Knotai': Matrim Cauthon, leader of the Seanchan revolution, and Queen Neya's brother.]**

"That should keep you busy for a few years."

"I don't want to be a princess, Mazrim. Do I have to be one? I thought it was just a joke. Something to please Ila, like the tiara. I figured Yasmin would be the princess, because she’s Neya’s real daughter."

"Karys, you know that Neya considers you like her daughter, too. You _are_ a princess. Bao passed a law about it. But you can be whatever you want to be. I'm sure Ila will be princess enough for both of you, anyway. And Yasmin will do whatever she wants, too." **[‘Yasmin’: Neya and Mazrim’s daughter, born outside of wedlock. She became the first woman to be accepted as an _abrishi_ , a sort of Sharan monk.]**

"Do I have to wear the tiara?"

"Not all the time. Just for ceremonies."

_(Natael, from the background.)_ "Can I have it, if you're not using it?"

_(Giggles.)_ "I don't think it will fit."

_(From the background.)_ "What's that supposed to mean? Are you implying that my head is too big?"

_(Mazrim.)_ "It is too big. Like your ego."

"It's not the only part of me that's big."

_(Pause.)_ "Honestly, Nate. What's wrong with you?"

_(Karys.)_ "Don't worry, I’ll pretend I didn’t understand. I think I'll go to bed now."

"Alright. Let me just turn this off, and I'll tuck you in."


	5. Fifth recording: Logain Ablar and Min Farshaw

“Recording number four: Combined interview of Logain Ablar, of Ghealdan, former False Dragon and first person to be Healed after being gentled…” **[‘Ghealdan’: a Western nation. ‘Gentled’: severed from the One Power by another channeler, a punishment that befell False Dragons, when they were taken down alive, as well as all male channelers, before the Dragon Reborn’s amnesty and the Cleansing.]** “…and Elmindreda Farshaw, of Baerlon, a Truthspeaker gifted with-” **[‘Baerlon’: a town in the former Queendom of Andor. ‘Truthspeaker’: term unknown.]**

“Loial, if you call me _that_ one more time, I swear, I will skewer you with my knives. And I’m not a Truthspeaker anymore. I resigned.”

_(Throat clearing.)_ “It was just for the record, Min. I do not know your current title, I’m afraid.”

“I don’t have one. Officially I’m here on a diplomatic mission, nothing more.”

“Officially.”

“Loial, you know why we’re really here. I just wanted Logain to get some rest.” _(Scoff.)_ “I was hoping for it, anyway. Now Bao has him running around the nation, hunting for male channelers who can be taught to wield _saidin_.”

“I can’t just sit on my arse and do nothing all day, Min. I’m not Natael.”

_(Sigh.)_ “There are other ways you could keep busy. Simpler ways. You could babysit the children, or…or practice your sword forms…” **[‘Sword forms’: an ancient form of combat practice.]**

“Right. Perhaps I ought to teach Taim how to not stab himself in the foot every time he picks up a blade.”

“You know what? Maybe you should. At least _talk_ to the bloody man.”

“Why? So he can find more excuses? So he can become a martyr? Please. He’s manipulative, cunning. He knows how to turn everything to his advantage.”

_(Throat clearing.)_ “I think he’s genuinely repentant, Logain. I’ve already interviewed him. He’s very-”

“Guess he’s gotten to you as well.”

“Blood and ashes, Logain! We’ve talked about this. I told you what I saw, when Mazrim returned to the Light, after they severed his link to the Dark One. White aura. He was never truly a Darkfriend, not deep down. Ishamael corrupted him, took advantage of the madness, of his vulnerability.”

“It’s convenient to blame the dead bloke, and now we have no way of proving that Taim was ever truly insane, and not playacting...”

“Ugh, you’re impossible. Do you intend to stay mad at him forever? You’re both going to live a fairly long time, you know.” **[Mazrim and Logain died in the same year, in fact, seven months apart, both aged over 800 years old.]**

“Well, I don’t have to live with him forever, do I? As soon as the university is built, he’ll move out of here.”

“And you’ll be recruiting men who’ll study there, woolhead. You’re quite likely to run into him once in a while, don’t you think?” **[Mazrim and Logain worked together at the University of Adanza for centuries. They were fast friends, and rumours had them being more than that, at least for a time. Of course, Mazrim eventually married Queen Neya, and Logain moved west, to Malkier, and became its king after his marriage to Queen Nynaeve, with whom he had three children.]**

_(Loial.)_ “Where are the recruits staying at the moment, Logain? The male channelers you’ve already found?”

“We’re lodging them here, in the Capital. Downtown. There’s only a handful so far. Neya was right – Shara is impossibly vast. I’ve visited two dozen settlements, mainly along the coast of the Morenal Ocean, but according to the maps I’ve barely covered a tenth of the length. And that’s just the coast. I guess it’ll be easier to Travel when the gateways are in place.” **[‘Morenal Ocean’: a vast expanse of salt water, located east of Shara. It is difficult for us to imagine, a body of water so large that it rivalled continents in size. ‘Travel’, capitalised: a form of transportation that required the One Power.]**

“I thought Atal and Trygg might give you a hand with the recruiting.” **[‘Atal Mishraile’ and ‘Trygg Lothbrok’: two Asha’man – see the next transcript for more information.]**

_“_ Trygg’s not up for exhausting work, and Atal is otherwise occupied, according to His Grace, King Bao.” _(Snigger.)_

_(Min.)_ “Do you have to be like that? He’s welcomed us here with open arms, no questions asked. Neya’s been supremely patient and helpful, even when you’re behaving like an ungrateful brat.”

“I have no problem with Neya.”

“What problem do you have with Bao? He hasn’t done anything to you.”

“Not to me personally, but he’s the one who ordered Taim to Turn our men at the Black Tower, wasn’t he?”

_(Silence.)_

_(Loial.)_ “Logain, would it be terribly rude of me to ask about your imprisonment at the Tower? I know it’s a sensitive topic, but-”

“Loial, we came all the way here so Logain could leave these painful memories behind. I don’t think-”

“And yet you’re the one who insists that I talk to Taim. What are we supposed to discuss? The weather?”

“I just thought… You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, is what I meant. Light knows you have enough nightmares as it is.”

“There’s no obligation, of course. My curiosity is getting the better of me again, I’m afraid.”

“It’s alright, Loial. I expected it.” _(Heavy sigh.)_ “Taim claims that he went easy on me, when he was attempting to Turn me, to try to buy me some time, so the others could rescue me.” _(Pause.)_ “I don’t dare imagine what it would have been like, if he hadn’t showed such…restrain.” _(Snort.)_

“Can you…describe the process? I’m not sure I understand it. Is it simply torture, or-”

“ _Simply torture_? Ha! ‘Torture’ doesn’t even begin to encompass what Turning does to you. The emotional turmoil, as if the Dark One himself was invading your mind, trying to control it…” _(Pause.)_ “There’s pain, alright. Pure physical pain, but that’s something I can handle. I’ve been hurt before. I have a very high threshold for pain.”

_(Min, in a low voice.)_ “Unlike most men.”

“Well, at the risk of repeating myself, I’m not Natael. He howls in agony whenever he stubs his toe, and whines about it for hours afterwards.”

“To be fair, that _is_ painful. Besides, you ought to be nicer to Nate, you know. He burned himself out. You of all people should understand what it’s like, to lose _saidin._ ”

“Considering he did it to save Taim, I’d say he deserved what happened to him.”

“He also did it to save Neya. If their bond had shattered in the middle of battle…”

“Their bond _did_ break, and she didn’t go raving mad with a suicidal lust for revenge, did she? She Healed him instead.”

“Ahem. Speaking of bonds, Logain, what of the two Aes Sedai you bonded while you were living at the Black Tower? Gabrelle Brawley and Toveine Gazal? Did you release them after-”

“You don’t know?” _(Pause.)_ “Toveine is dead, Loial. Taim Turned her, and I had to kill her myself. During the battle.”

“Oh. I’m terribly sorry. I was not aware of that.”

“It’s fine. She was not herself. The real Toveine died when she was Turned.” _(Pause.)_ “Gabrelle returned with her sisters after the battle. I…we didn’t talk much. I severed our bond before Traveling to the battlefield, you see, and she wasn’t too happy about it. I think, um, I think she loves me. Loved me. Maybe. And, well, I didn’t. Not really. Not like _that_. The Pattern brought us together in our time of need, and she was a friend, a fierce ally – she was what I needed at the time. Gabrelle is a good person. Just not…not the person I want to be with. Not the person I need.”

“Aw, you need me, you admit it.”

_(Annoyed mumbling.)_ “Light help me.”

“Min, why did you join the Black Tower after Tarmon Gai’don? Was it for Logain?”

“What? Of course not! I’m not some woolheaded ninny who follows attractive men wherever they-” _(Pause.)_ “I don’t suppose you can erase that from the recorder?”

“Sorry, no.”

“Ugh.” _(Pause.)_ "I knew that, even though we’d won the battle, we’d have some hard times ahead of us. The Two Towers have to be unified, and cooperate – communicate, at the very least. That was the first step: to establish a dialogue. Even that was complicated. With Cadsuane on one side, and this mule of a man on the other…” _(Sigh.)_ “To be fair, Cadsuane wasn’t the worst of them. Light, it’s like they _want_ there to be complications and dissension. I wish Egwene were here.” **[‘Cadsuane’: presumably a woman’s name. Possibly the then-leader of the White Tower. ‘Egwene al’Vere’: creator of the legendary Flame of Tar Valon, a counterweave for dreaded Balefire. Our world might have become a very different place, had channelers not forgotten how to weave the Flame long before the Downfall.]**

“I doubt even al’Vere would have managed to tame the Sitters entirely. If I’m a mule, they’re… What’s worse than a mule?” **[‘Sitter’: a title, though we do not know what it entailed.]**

_(Min.)_ “Nothing.” _(Chuckle.)_ “I’m just teasing, Logain. They’re awful, I know. I hope Androl can handle it. At least he has Pevara on his side. That’s got to count for something.”

_(Throat clearing.)_ “I should probably interview Asha’man Androl and Pevara Sedai when I’m done here.” **[Either Loial never got around to it, or he didn’t use the recorder. The few recordings we were able to salvage were made while Loial was a guest in Shara, in the first year of the Dragon Age. As a result, we know nothing of ‘Androl’ and ‘Pevara’, save that they were channelers, and likely people of influence.]** “Logain, I believe that you were Healed from the taint’s corruption soon after the Last Battle, is that correct?”

“Aye. Damer did it. Bloody man insisted on doing it right away, though I assured him it could wait. He’d just lost his arm, and he was wobbling on his feet with exhaustion, but Min made it sound like the most urgent thing in the world…” **[‘Damer Flinn’: an Asha’man, and a renowned Healer.]**

“Logain, you very nearly assaulted Neya, and fire was randomly bursting out of you. I don’t think I was exaggerating.”

_(Muffled grumbling.)_

“Would you say that the Healing Asha’man Damer provided made much difference? How do you think that the madness was impacting you?”

_(Pause.)_ “I don’t feel any different, but I haven’t assaulted anyone recently, nor have I unintentionally committed arson.” _(Min snorts.)_ “I’m still angry. I’m still convinced that the Forsaken are going to betray us sooner or later – call it paranoia if you wish, but it seems obvious to me.” _(Sigh.)_ “I’m less impulsive, perhaps. Confronting Taim at the Tower without backup was insane, I see that now. I should have considered my options more carefully, should have planned better. Maybe Toveine would still be alive if I’d-”

“Blood and flaming ashes! Weren’t we _just_ discussing that the other night? Logain, you can’t blame yourself for what happened to Toveine. You did what you could-”

“But I didn’t, Min! Would _you_ have decided to take on a man you suspected of being involved with the Forsaken on your own, without even sending scouts ahead, without planning for every possible detail that could go wrong?”

“Well, _I_ wouldn’t have, but I’m sure many men would have done the same. You made one unwise decision, but that doesn’t mean that you’re responsible for everything that happened. Ultimately, Mazrim was the one who-”

“And yet you insist that I talk to him! You do realise how contradictory you sound, yes?”

“Because he feels exactly as you do! The accumulated guilt that he didn’t feel throughout the Turning phase at the Tower crashed down on him when Neya Healed him. Logain, I’m not saying that he’s blameless. I know what he did, and I’m sure he knows it, too. He knows it only too well. I’m not making excuses for him. He became a Darkfriend willingly, and everything he did in Saldaea was only partially due to the madness – if at all. He made terrible choices. And now he has to live with the consequences of his actions. If your own guilt’s any indication as to the way Mazrim must be feeling, don’t you think that’s punishment enough?”

_(Long silence.)_

“You know, I was actually hoping that, when Damer was done with you, your anger and resentment would fade, and your thirst for vengeance with them. I genuinely believed that they were manifestations of the madness. But if anything, it became _worse._ Your nightmares… Light. Seeing you wrestle with them, it’s terrifying. I’m scared, Logain. If you can’t find peace, if you can’t find it in yourself to forgive-”

“FORGIVE?! Is that why you brought me here, to this Light-forsaken place? In the hope that I would _forgive_ him? Blood and ashes, Min, you’re the one who’s mad.”

_(Pause.)_ “Is that so?” _(Scraping sound as a chair is being moved.)_ “Then I suppose you don’t really need me, do you?” _(Rapid footsteps, door slamming.)_

“Bloody great. Another fight. Everything was fine until we came here, burn her.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked-”

“It’s not your fault, Loial. Min’s just…she’s awfully worried about me, though I… I feel fine. I really do. Isn’t it natural for me to be angry? Would _you_ forgive Taim, Loial, if you were in my shoes?”

“I would. I don’t mean to take a side, Logain, but perhaps you ought to listen to Min and talk with Mazrim. He’s…not what I expected. And I would add that, according to most sources…” _(Loial takes a deep breath.)_ “Most Forsaken were vindictive. Some believed that Lews Therin had wronged them – and in some cases, perhaps he had – but that was their main reason for forsaking the Light, in the end. A lust for vengeance. An irrational desire for retribution. But there is an Ogier saying: ‘An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.’ If you’re using violence to exact revenge for an act of cruelty done to you, are you any better than the original perpetrator?” _(Pause.)_ “Min is correct in stating that Mazrim is guilty. She’s also correct in the fact that he’s aware of it. And I believe that he’s trying to make up for it, in any way he can. To answer your earlier question, it _is_ natural for you to be angry. But you’re a good man, Logain. Don’t let your anger consume you. And I think that Min needs you as much as you need her. She’s been through a lot these past few months, just like you.”

“I…I suppose you’re right. I, um, I should go after her, shouldn’t I?”

“I think you should, yes, Sealbreaker.” **[‘Sealbreaker’: Logain’s title after he broke the remaining seals of the Dark One’s prison, to allow al’Thor to reseal it with a combination of _saidar, saidin_ and the True Power, the Dark One’s very own essence. As we all know, it did temporarily prevent the Dark One to influence the world, until the series of events that led to the Downfall.]**

“Thank you, Loial. I’ll think on what you said. Sorry about wrecking your interview.”

“Worry not. I have everything I need. For now.”


	6. Sixth recording: Atal Mishraile

“Recording number five: Atal Mishraile, Asha’man of the Black Tower, King Bao’s Architect. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, Atal.”

“Of course. I just… I’m not sure exactly _why_ you wanted to interview me, Loial. I haven’t done anything special, not like the others have. I wasn’t even bewitched by Neya.” _(Chuckle.)_

“No, indeed not. Or at least, she didn’t influence you in the same way as the others. But you did tell me earlier that you felt a certain…loyalty toward her, from the very beginning, a loyalty you also bestowed upon Mazrim.”

“Um…yes. I suppose. But Mazrim…well, it wasn’t exactly…it was more than loyalty, at first.”

“Oh. I see.” _(Throat clearing.)_ “But then you met Trygg.”

“I knew him already, but we got…better acquainted, aye.”

“How is he feeling nowadays? I understand that he sustained severe injuries during the Last Battle.”

_(Pause.)_ “For a while I was afraid that he wouldn’t make it. Even Neya…” _(Heavy sigh.)_ “Neya’s still trying to fix him, because he has these awful migraines. She says that she can’t find what’s wrong with him. Nynaeve Sedai and old Damer looked into it, too, but they’re just as clueless.” **[‘Nynaeve Sedai’: the legendary Malkieri Queen, wife to King al’Lan Mandragoran in these days, then to Logain Ablar.]**

“I’m sure they’ll figure something out. Neya Healed death itself, after all.”

“Aye, but she and Mazrim insist that it wasn’t that big of a deal. That she merely restarted his heart, and it was lucky that he was strong enough to survive the Healing itself.” _(Pause.)_ “Whatever she says, it was quite a feat. It’s odd that she hasn’t yet been able to Heal Natael, either.”

“Ahem. I tried to broach the subject with him, but he’s very, um, touchy about it.”

“He’s very touchy about a lot of things. Not sure what Mazrim sees in him…” _(Pause.)_ “Well. That’s their problem, not mine. Was there anything else you wanted to know? Like I said, I didn’t do anything of note.”

“You saved a lot of people when the Trollocs attacked the Asha'man camp during the Last Battle, Atal. And Mazrim told me what you did at the Black Tower. That he sent you to Logain’s followers, to stage a rescue. Didn’t you?”

_(Snort.)_ “Androl and Pevara Sedai worked it out pretty much on their own, you know. I was only there to provide details about the layout of the dungeons, to give information about the guard patrols, and to physically support Logain when we did rescue him. The man could barely breathe, let alone stand. I think it was a close shave, Logain’s rescue. If Pevara hadn’t Healed him, we might have lost him. He was a wreck. It’s a wonder he survived so many attempts, I must say. I was there when…” _(Pause.)_  “I took part in the earlier Turning attempts on some of the others. Kajima and the boy, Vinchova. I still have nightmares about it. I doubt they’ll ever go away.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Had to? Mazrim didn’t make me do it. No one forced my hand. I thought… I was so sure that Mazrim would stop, eventually. That he’d give up pretending to be a Dreadlord and come clean to the Dragon Reborn, that all would be forgiven and we’d be given a chance to fight for the Light in the Last Battle. All of the Asha’man, as one, united against the Shadow, which had tried so very hard to undermine us. But when Neya disappeared… It really broke Mazrim. What he felt for her, despite the madness numbing down his emotions…” _(Chuckle.)_ “I was jealous of her for a long time. She was the only person he seemed to care about. If Ilyena Sunhair had been dancing naked in front of him, he wouldn’t have spared her a glance. He wasn’t just smitten. They’re… Well, I don’t know what they are, but it’s a good thing that they’re bonded again. You could tell that Mazrim was slowly dying without the bond, even with Natael at his side.” **[‘Ilyena Sunhair’: person unknown.]**

“Are you…jealous of Master Natael, now?”

_(Hearty laughter.)_ “Light, no! It’s frustrating, though. I could tell Mazrim was… I _knew_ it. But then he fell for Neya, and I was left rather confused… Oh well. I’m with Trygg now, and quite happy about it. I’m lucky to have him.”

“Can you tell me a bit more about yourself?”

“I just did, didn’t I?”

“About your background, I mean. Your home town. Your family. Isn’t anyone waiting for you in Andor? Did you visit after the battle?”

_(Dry chuckle.)_ “Nope. If I ever return to that Light-forsaken place, they’re likely to welcome me with pitchforks.”

“Why is that?”

“Because what seems completely normal in Shara is considered a mortal sin where I come from.” _(Pause.)_ “Trygg and I? That sort of thing, you know.”

“Oh. I didn’t realise.”

“Is it acceptable in _steddings_?” **[‘ _Steddings’_ : a place where Ogier lived, before the Downfall, before they became extinct, and where the One Power couldn’t be accessed.]**

“I…have no idea, actually. I’d never come across such things until, um, until I met you and Trygg and Mazrim and Master Natael.” **[It seems that it wasn’t a common occurrence, even then, although it was not strictly outlawed, as it is nowadays.]**

“To be fair, there’s no law against it. I don’t think so, anyway. It’s considered improper where I come from, though. Unnatural, even. I knew that. But what was I supposed to do? I’m not like Mazrim or Nate. I don’t care for women at all. It was not for lack of potential brides, though. Every girl was fawning over me. My mother kept introducing to her acquaintances’ daughters or nieces. I can’t even remember how many girls she tried to set me up with. Dozens, most like. I should have been married for a long time, of course; in small villages, we marry young. People were starting to whisper. My parents were growing worried. They were being more forceful, said it was past time I moved out of the house and started a family.” _(Pause.)_ “I was in no hurry to do that, though. I was having a great time with our neighbours’ son, Alec. But then my sister caught us in the barn and snitched on us. My parents were horrified. They would have reacted less violently if I’d turned out to be a Darkfriend, I think.” _(Snort.)_ “My father wanted to throw me out of the house right then and there, but my mother gave me a day to pack my things. In the meantime, over at the neighbours’ house, Alec was being forced into marrying his second cousin to keep up appearances. They were to be wed the very next morning.” _(Pause.)_ “They found him hanging from a beam in the barn where we’d been kissing the previous day. He’d left a note. Addressed to me. His father cursed me and threw the note at me, said I’d killed his only heir and ruined their lives. That was exactly what the note said: ‘You’ve ruined my life’.”

“I’m sorry. It’s a terrible thing to say.”

“Of course it is. It was hardly my fault, anyway. What did I do? Nothing! A kiss and a tumble every once in a while. He never protested, I can assure you of that. It’s all my sister’s fault. She’s the one who ruined everything. I hope my parents married her off to some pig-faced sheepherder in the neighbouring village. And Alec… What a fool he was. What did it matter that he was getting married? It’s not like he would have been moving leagues away. Nobody ever left the area. We could have continued meeting in secret. He didn’t have to…” _(Atal doesn’t finish the sentence and a long silence follows._ _)_

“How did your parents react to the boy’s death? Did they feel sorry-“

“Sorry? Ha! Clearly you never met my parents. They threw me out of the house without allowing me to take anything with me – only the clothes on my back and my hunting knife. They said that if I ever set foot in the village again, they would denounce me to the Whitecloaks. I’m not sure for what crime, but I didn’t doubt them for a moment. A week later, on the road, I heard rumours of the amnesty, so I made a beeline for the Black Tower – well, the farm, as it was known then.” **[‘Whitecloaks’: term unknown; perhaps an informal name for representatives of the law.]**

“How do you find life in Shara? Are you fitting in?”

“It’s perfect. We were comfortable enough at the Tower, at least in the early days, but people just couldn’t seem to leave us bloody well alone… I don’t know why they even _care_. What’s it to them?” _(Sigh.)_ “Most of them didn’t dare bully me after I became an Asha’man, not openly at least. But Trygg’s weak in the power, so despite his stature they never missed an opportunity to give him a hard time. But here in Shara? Nobody cares. Last week Natael danced with Mazrim at a banquet and no one batted an eye. It’s very refreshing, I’ll admit.”

“What about your arm? Can you tell me more about the, um…”

“Prosthesis. It’s quite remarkable. It’s like I never lost my arm at all. It doesn’t hurt, and it reacts exactly as if it were flesh, bone, muscle and nerves. I never thought… With everything that was going on, I hadn’t really stopped to worry about it. I was hardly the only one who’d lost a limb, and I was alive, in any case. I was more worried about Trygg than about myself. But Neya got really excited when Dem…um, when Bao mentioned prostheses, so they started working on one right away. Trygg helped, too. Bao says that he has an affinity for fabricating such devices, despite his lack of strength in the Power.”

“It’s remarkable. It’s a _ter’angreal_ , is it not?” **[‘ _Ter’angreal_ ’: objects of the One Power with specific functions. A few were recovered after the Downfall, but they are nothing more than relics now, for us who cannot use them.]**

“Aye. I’m not sure how it works, to tell you the truth. I don’t have to activate it with _saidin_ ; it’s a self-functioning _ter’angreal_. Trygg is hard-put to explain. He claims that it comes naturally to him. When he links with Neya, he can do impressive things.”

“I’m very glad to hear that everything is working out for you two. I won’t take any more of your time, Atal. I know you were planning to treat the girls to a picnic.”

“Yes. We’re all going to the Two Rivers – Neya’s family will be there. You should come, too, with Erith.”

“Oh. We wouldn’t want to impose-”

“The girls will be delighted. Neya, too, I’m sure. Come on, Loial! There’ll be plenty of time for you to work on that book of yours, now that the world isn’t in imminent danger of global destruction.”

“Ah…I suppose you’re right. Erith loves the Two Rivers. Very well, then. Let me just pack a few books and I’ll meet you at the gateway station.” **[‘Gateway station’: a secure area specially made for Travelling via gateways. The concept was later developed in the Westlands.]**


	7. Seventh recording: Queen Neya

“Recording number six: Neya al’Kane, Queen of Shara, the Lightbringer.” **[‘Lightbringer’: Neya’s title, given to her during the Last Battle by Artur Hawkwing, a famed Hero of the Horn of Valere, according to legends. More likely, it was her own people who came up with it, a rallying war cry for morale in these dark days. Neya was known under several other names as well, including Soul Cleanser, Harbinger of Chaos, Changer of Fate, depending on the source material.]**

“Really, Loial? There’s no need for such formality. You’ve been in Shara for months, and you were a guest at my wedding.”

“It was a lovely wedding.”

_(Chuckle.)_ “Don’t try to change the subject. But we really appreciated the Treesinging.”

“The formality is just for the record, Neya. In case…I don’t know, in case people ever listen to this. For posterity.” **[Praise Loial for his incredible foresight.]**

“Future generations won’t need these recordings. They’ll have your book.” **[We wish.]**

“Oh, I doubt anyone will read it.”

“Don’t be silly. With Rand…gone, everyone will want to know exactly what happened, how history unfolded under your very nose – the Dragon’s journey, from simple sheepherder to saviour of the world.”

“I think saving the world was a shared effort, but Rand’s passing was indeed a sad, dreadful thing.” _(Tremulous sigh.)_ “Ah, well. It was foretold.”

“Just because it was supposed to happen means that it’s easy for us to come to terms with it.”

“Indeed. We will mourn him for a long time. Stories of his death – his sacrifice – will be told to many generations of children, that they should never forget him.”

_(Pause.)_ “Loial… I’m really not sure about this interview. I’m sorry I kept postponing it, but what more can I say? I told the others that they could share with you whatever you wanted to know about me when you interviewed them the second time." **[It appears that Loial did a separate round of interviews with the others, though no recordings of those were found on this device. Either they were erased – accidentally or not – or Loial decided not to use the recorder, for whatever reason.]**

"Oh, they did! They told me of their time spent with you, how you figured out a way to cleanse the madness when you were in Shara, the battle at Dumai's Wells, your time in the Waste. It's a fascinating thing, _ta'maral'ailen_.” **[‘ _Ta'maral'ailen_ ’: term unknown.]** “Of course, I witnessed many strange occurrences first-hand, thanks to Rand, Mat and Perrin, but it seems that you had your fair share of adventures in the past two years. To think that you encountered five of the Forsaken, and turned two of them to the Light! Or three, even – one could argue that Master Natael's continued loyalty to Rand was partly due to you. And now they have all attached themselves to you. They hold you in high esteem indeed, the three of them."

"Yes, it seems that my _ta'veren_ nature has melted their brains somewhat." **[‘ _Ta’veren_ ’: this word was used in relation to both Artur Hawkwing and Rand al’Thor; we presume that it describes someone who has a major influence on the Pattern, or who can perhaps manipulate it. Queen Neya was _ta’veren_ for over two years, until the Last Battle, where, we believe, she fulfilled her fated purpose. That didn’t stop her from doing great things afterwards, of course. For more information, we invite you to consult the acclaimed book ‘Lightbringer: Biography of a Sharan Queen’ by Yanis Taim, a direct descendant of Mazrim Taim and Queen Neya herself.]**

"Oh, not at all! I doubt that it was only due to that, Neya. It simply twisted the odds, influenced events, but I'm convinced that, ultimately, it was your true self, your humanity, that made their conversion to the Light possible. That is also their opinion, in fact. But if I may be so bold, it does remind me of Rand and his…um, well, that is, of the way he consorted with Min, Aviendha and Queen Elayne, without any of them seeming to, um, mind." **[‘Aviendha’: to the best of our knowledge, she was a great warrior, and a leader of the people known as ‘Aiel’. ‘Queen Elayne’: Elayne Trakand, then-queen of the land known as Andor.]**

"Loial! It's not like that at all. Bao is my husband, and him alone. I’m bonded to Mazrim, it's true, but it's different. We're not…lovers. Nate and he are together now, and we don't need to make everything even more complicated than it already is."

"Ahem. Well, as long as everyone is content with the situation, I'm sure it's fine. How do the children adapt to this peculiar…arrangement?"

_(Laughter.)_ "The girls couldn't be happier. Imagine it, they have four people entirely committed to them. Ila’s a princess, which is pretty much her dream come true, and Karys is being trained by the finest warriors Shara has to offer. Does it get any better than that?"

"Indeed. It is good that their life is stable now, after everything that happened to them." _(Pause.)_ "Neya, can you tell me more about Ishamael? I've already asked the others, but it seems to me that you knew him better than anyone else. Except perhaps Master Natael, but he wasn’t very…um, forthcoming on the subject. I wish I could interview Ishamael directly, but he left Merrilor before I even realised he was alive. I don't suppose you know where he is?" **[‘Field of Merrilor’: the place where the Dragon Reborn gathered his armies before the Last Battle. Ishamael notoriously survived the battle, but was never heard of again.]**

_(Pause.)_ "I'm afraid not. I…I doubt we’ll ever see him again." _(Another pause.)_ "Elan was…is…not a fundamentally bad person. He's not…evil, no more than Bao or Nate or Mazrim. Few people are truly evil, I think. That doesn't mean that the Forsaken didn't do evil things, of course. I'm not in denial about their past misdeeds, and I don't approve of them in any way, or try to find excuses for them. But it belongs to the past. They've been given a second chance, and I intend to see that they don't make a mess of it." _(Heavy sigh.)_ "But Elan… I've often wondered if perhaps he was mad before any of this happened, before even the drilling of the Bore. Delusional, possibly. He's a genius, you see, but he had strange theories and conceptions of the world already before the Collapse. I'm sure Bao told you about their professional collaboration."

"Yes, he did. He even allowed me to borrow some of the books that were stored in Ishamael's library, including Ishamael's own works – all in pristine condition." **[None of these books were ever recovered, but we found some essays about them, written by a man known as ‘Herid Fel’ – possibly a philosopher of the Dragon Age. They’re…cryptic, to say the least, especially without the source material.]**

"Well, good luck with those." _(Snort.)_ "I couldn't make sense of them. Anyway, mad or not, Elan was incredibly knowledgeable, refined, intelligent. He was also tired of living. Immortality weighed heavily on him, and it was made increasingly worse by his sporadic stays in Shayol Ghul. I don't think he was ever truly asleep, or whatever it was, not like the others. Can you imagine spending years, sometimes centuries, sealed away in a never-ending, restless nightmare? I certainly can't. If he wasn't mad before, he certainly was after that, and no wonder."

"Was he different, when he reappeared to you as Moridin?" **[Correction of a previous note: it appears that Ishamael and Moridin were the same person. Ishamael was somehow brought back to life, by the Dark One, in a different body and under a different name.]**

"He was gloomier than ever, but he was never cheerful to begin with. I only talked to him for a few minutes, in any case."

"What can you tell me about Lanfear and your encounter with her? Master Natael wouldn't say much on the subject."

"I… Loial, I'd rather not talk about that. I'm sorry."

"Oh, not at all. I understand. I just… Did you know that she had been re-embodied, like Ishamael? As Cyndane?"

_(Pause.)_ "No, I didn't. I assumed that she was dead, like Moiraine." **[‘Moiraine Damodred’: sadly, little is known about this woman, though she seemed to have had a great influence on the events that preceded the Last Battle.]** “I’m just glad that Lanfear never came after me after being reincarnated. That…woman was… Well, she wasn’t evil, exactly, but… Light, I pity Lews Therin for ever involving himself with her. And I’m not Lews Therin’s biggest fan.”

“Why is that?”

_(Chuckle.)_ “You’ll probably assume that my husband’s a bad influence on me, but everyone from the Age of Legends seems to agree that he wasn’t such a good person, even before he annihilated his entire family. That was due to the madness, though, so he can’t be blamed for it. I should know.” _(Pause.)_ “He can be blamed for his pride and overconfidence, though, and for his lack of foresight. The Breaking was partly his fault. Mostly his fault, really.”

"Did you ever meet any of the other Forsaken?"

"No." _(Pause.)_ "Well, that is… Bao said that Aginor infiltrated the Black Tower in its early days. The new Aginor. The Dark One renamed him Osan'gar, but he called himself Corlan Dashiva." **[‘Aginor’: a male Forsaken.]**

"Dashiva? I had no idea that he was one of the Forsaken! Rand never told me that."

"Maybe he didn't know? Rand must have assumed that he was just another Dreadlord, a Forsaken's puppet, like the others who tried to kill him, in Cairhien. Dashiva was killed in Aridhol, during the cleansing of the taint, Bao told me. In any case, I didn't know him very well. He was aloof and unpleasant, and he was either pretending to be mad, or he really was." **[‘Cairhien’: a western land, or city, perhaps both, apparently under the rule of Andor, because Elayne Trakand was its queen. ‘Aridhol’: ancient name of Shadar Logoth, the famously corrupted, long-dead city that was destroyed when the Dragon Reborn cleansed the taint from _saidin._ ]** "Oh, and I had a brief encounter with Graendal in Caemlyn, when she tried to kill Nate. But he must have told you all about that."

"Yes, indeed. A good thing you were there. Another manifestation of _ta'maral'ailen_ , to be sure. Ahem. Mazrim told me about your father, and what happened to your family. How did you come to be adopted by the Cauthons?" **[‘The Cauthons’: Neya’s adoptive family, from the Two Rivers.]**

"Well, we lived some distance from Emond's Field, on an isolated farm, but my parents were close to the Cauthons. They'd known each other forever, and Natti and my mother were fast friends." **[‘Emond’s Field’: a large city in the Two Rivers, which was merely a small village before these events. It is the place where the Dragon Reborn was raised by his adoptive parents, Tamlin and Kari al’Thor.]** “Anyway, when I was brought to the village, after the incident, Natti had apparently already discussed with Abell, the Council and the Circle. I moved in with them the very same day."

"Were you close to Mat, when you were younger?"

"Yes, quite. He had the craziest ideas for pranks, but I was the practical one. I usually came up with the best way to achieve them, which never failed to exasperate Egwene. Well, her and everyone else."

"Were you and Egwene good friends?"

"She was my only female friend. I've always gotten along better with boys. I liked to play with Mat, Rand and Perrin, and accompany them on expeditions in the Mountains of Mist." **[‘Mountains of Mist’: a mountain range that lay west of the Two Rivers.]**

"How did your parents feel about you marrying Bao? And about, well, everything else?"

"Well, Da had a bit of trouble coming to terms with it at first, but he's adjusting slowly, I think. Ma has already adopted Bao as part of the family, and my sisters as well. And they're quite fond of Mazrim and Nate, and the girls. All in all, it went a lot smoother than I expected."

"How are you adjusting to motherhood?"

"Well… I could argue that I’ve been a mother for a long time. I was the oldest in the family, right after Mat, and he wasn’t interested in taking care of his younger sisters, so when Natti was busy, that was my job. And then I’ve been looking after Karys and Ilawen for a few months already."

“And how would say that Mazrim is doing, as a father?”

“He’s much better at it than he thinks. Honestly, his sudden lack of self-confidence after I Healed him… It’s disturbing. He’s so…different, and yet he’s more Mazrim now than he ever was before, if that makes any sense.”

“The madness turned him into someone else. Someone he didn’t want to be, but felt he _had_ to be. That’s how he described it to me, anyway.”

“I couldn’t have put it better myself.”

"I won't bother you for much longer, I promise. I would just like to have your insights on being a queen. After all, you were a farmer’s daughter. This life, it must be very new for you."

_(Chuckle.)_ "It's a lot of responsibilities, and it gives me much cause to worry. I'm only beginning to get the hang of it. Hopefully, in a few centuries, I won't need Bao's constant approval to do anything." _(Pause.)_ “Come to think of it, it’s not unlike being a mother. I’m like…a parent to our people. Some of the Freed still call me _ina_ – it means ‘mother’ in Sharan.”

"I'm sure you will be a great queen. Bao and you make a good team. I've discussed with some of the servants in the palace, and many of the former slaves as well. They all seem content with the way you're handling things. And the Freed are adjusting to their new lives quite well, apparently. This new woman you've appointed to assist them – Teyla? – is doing a wonderful job."

"Oh yes, she's a miracle worker. She's from the forests, up north. We didn't even know there were people living there until we opened a gateway nearby, a few weeks past. It's amazing what we've uncovered thanks to the gateway platforms. A few days ago, we found an enormous relic from the Age of Legends. Bao thinks it might be some sort of _ter'angreal_ used for agricultural purposes, but we haven't tested it yet. And we discovered this recorder in a tiny fishing village along the eastern coast. The village chiefs have been passing it along for generations, never knowing what it was. Bao exchanged it against another _ter'angreal_ , one that can forecast storms, which is much more useful to them."

"It is a marvellous find. Are you quite sure that I can keep it?"

"Of course, Loial. It is a gift. The Sharans are very peculiar when it comes to gift giving. Trying to return it would be considered offensive."

"Well, in that case, I cannot thank you enough." _(Pause.)_ "I think I have everything I need, Neya. Thank you for agreeing to talk to me."

"It's always a pleasure to discuss with you, Loial, you know that. We're happy to have you and Erith here."

"And we're happy to be here. I think Erith would like to travel across Shara, when I’m done working on my notes and going through every book in your library. I understand that the Ways network is a bit different here?" **[‘Ways’: it seemed that the word needed to be capitalised, though we do not know what Loial is referring to. Another method of transportation, most likely.]**

"You mean the City of Dreams? I don't know. I'm afraid few people know how to navigate the Ways. But if you're going to visit the _abrishi_ 's monastery, as you intended, they might be able to tell you more. Now that they're clean, and relatively safe, the Ways should become more travelled in the near future."

"I'll be sure to ask about them. Thank you again, Neya."

 

**This concludes our transcripts of Loial’s recordings. The notes were made during our first listening to the device and may therefore overlap; in any case we expect that this new discovery will lead to several essays and documentaries, and certainly to extensive research about any of the terms that were marked as ‘unknown’.**

**Regardless of what we may yet uncover, this has proven most informative – and may be of precious assistance in the war to come. Our own Last Battle, but with no appointed saviour in sight.**

**Perhaps this will be the end – the End of Time, as prophesised.**

**Perhaps it will lead to another Turning of the Wheel.**

**Either way, may the Light have mercy on our souls.**


End file.
